(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holding apparatus that holds recording mediums for storing information.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Recording mediums such as flexible disks (FDs) have been utilized to store digital information.
In order that users can easily see what digital information is stored in a FD, a label, which shows such information as titles and index indicating content of digital information stored in the FD, is attached to an outer surface of the FD. Thus, users can find a desired FD by the label attached thereto.
With the reduced size of recording mediums, however, the size of labels to be attached thereto has become increasingly small. As a result, such problems have been noted that the label is not large enough to show sufficient information, and that the recording medium is too small to have a label attached thereto.
As one solution to the above problems, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H02-115996 discloses a technique for identifying a PC card by information about content indicated in a display mounted on a surface of the card.
(Prior Art 1)
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H02-115996
In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H04-367090 discloses a technique for displaying data such as titles in a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit mounted on a memory card. Both of the above techniques use displays mounted on cards in place of labels, and have information about the content shown therein.
(Prior Art 2)
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H04-367090
Further, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-101356 discloses a technique for displaying additional information such as stored images and dates, which are stored in a PC card, in an LCD mounted on a PC card adapter.
(Prior Art 3)
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-101356
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-29998 discloses a recording and reproducing device to which a plurality of memory cards can be attached. The recording and reproducing device includes a displaying unit for showing contents of an active memory card. In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-32582 discloses a headphone system where a plurality of memory cards are contained in a headband part having a changer mechanism for selecting one of the plurality of memory cards and reproducing contents. In three of the above techniques, a holder that holds recording mediums display contents of the recording mediums.
(Prior Art 4)
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-29998
(Prior Art 5)
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-32582
While the problem regarding attaching labels on the recording mediums can be solved according to the above listed conventional arts, however, a problem is still noted that it becomes increasingly difficult for the users to find the desired recording medium as the number of recording mediums that each user owns increases.